-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Pennant Ale '55
Brooklyn Brewery
- From:
- Brooklyn Brewery
- New York, United States
- Style:
- English Pale Ale
- ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- 82
- Avg:
- 3.61 | pDev: 13.3%
- Reviews:
- 619
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jan 25, 2022
- Added:
- May 06, 2001
- Wants:
- 37
- Gots:
- 171
Honey-colored pale ale with a brisk malt palate and finely balanced hop character.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BuckeyeNation:
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa
3.03/5 rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.03/5 rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Bronzed rustic orange with tangerine peel trim. In spite of the loud escape of gas on crown cracking, the head is on the small side. I kept elevating the bottle when I saw that very little was happening and eventually ended up with a slim two fingers of toasted tan that is creamy enough to persist and sticky enough to deposit lace in a chained links pattern.
The nose is too weak and isn't all that compelling. It's much closer to an English pale ale (Brooklyn's designation) than an American pale ale (BA designation). Buttery pale malt and herbal-fruity hops balance one another out to such an extent that the beer lacks personality. The malt bill sounds wonderful: Scottish Floor-Malted Maris Otter, Belgian Aromatic and British Crystal. Too bad it doesn't result in a better nose.
Pennant is okay beer, but that's about as far as it goes. Like the nose, there's really nothing here to grab onto, just a collection of flavors that don't jibe as well as they might. Toasted barley is uppermost with a hint of diacetyl (that isn't bothersome) and a flavor that reminds me of old iced tea. The beer is more bitter than it is sweet, although it's lacking in terms of good, solid hoppiness. The spiciness of the Hallertauer Perle comes through the loudest.
The mouthfeel is on the light side of medium with more than a little harsh carbonation. Why all those bubbles didn't result in a bigger head is a mystery to me. I prefer soft and lush to firm and buzzy, so the mouthfeel will be accorded the same underwhelming score as the flavor.
While some Brooklyn beer is little better than average, most of what I've had lately has been very good. Unfortunately, Pennant Ale '55 falls into the former camp. This bottle is still a few months away from its 'best by' date so age can't be a factor. My suggestion, for what it's worth, is to start over and come up with a beer that is worthy of such a great name and a great label.
Nov 18, 2006The nose is too weak and isn't all that compelling. It's much closer to an English pale ale (Brooklyn's designation) than an American pale ale (BA designation). Buttery pale malt and herbal-fruity hops balance one another out to such an extent that the beer lacks personality. The malt bill sounds wonderful: Scottish Floor-Malted Maris Otter, Belgian Aromatic and British Crystal. Too bad it doesn't result in a better nose.
Pennant is okay beer, but that's about as far as it goes. Like the nose, there's really nothing here to grab onto, just a collection of flavors that don't jibe as well as they might. Toasted barley is uppermost with a hint of diacetyl (that isn't bothersome) and a flavor that reminds me of old iced tea. The beer is more bitter than it is sweet, although it's lacking in terms of good, solid hoppiness. The spiciness of the Hallertauer Perle comes through the loudest.
The mouthfeel is on the light side of medium with more than a little harsh carbonation. Why all those bubbles didn't result in a bigger head is a mystery to me. I prefer soft and lush to firm and buzzy, so the mouthfeel will be accorded the same underwhelming score as the flavor.
While some Brooklyn beer is little better than average, most of what I've had lately has been very good. Unfortunately, Pennant Ale '55 falls into the former camp. This bottle is still a few months away from its 'best by' date so age can't be a factor. My suggestion, for what it's worth, is to start over and come up with a beer that is worthy of such a great name and a great label.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania
3.97/5 rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.97/5 rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
I was really surprised when I realized that I had not previously reviewed this beer. It seems to strengthen my case for the reduction & eradication of the Bottle Backlog here at Chez Woody. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, like my intending to review all of these beers when I brought them home.
From the bottle: "Pennant Ale is brewed from Scottish Maris Otter malt, which is justly prized for its toasty, biscuity flavor and the round smoothness it imparts. Out house ale yeast brings out an appetizing fruitiness and ferments to a dry finish."
I Pop!ped the cap and gently set it aside. Next up was a gentle pour as I did not want to rouse any lees that may have flocculated out while the bottle awaited its turn. A vigorous in-glass swirl raised two fingers of dense, foamy, tawny head with excellent retention. Color was Deep Amber/Light Copper to Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17) with deep amber highlights and NE-quality clarity. Nose had an earthy, biscuity quality, just what I would expect in the style. Mouthfeel was medium to full, big for the style. The taste was more earthy than toasty/biscuity, but not so far from the mark that I would dun them for false advertising. It was definitely malt-driven as I could not discern any hops. Finish was dry, pleasant, easy-drinking. I get why some reviewers were getting down on this - it is a tad on the non-descript side if you are looking for something with Ooomph!, say an American-style beer, but this was nothing more & nothing less than it was supposed to be.
Nov 07, 2016From the bottle: "Pennant Ale is brewed from Scottish Maris Otter malt, which is justly prized for its toasty, biscuity flavor and the round smoothness it imparts. Out house ale yeast brings out an appetizing fruitiness and ferments to a dry finish."
I Pop!ped the cap and gently set it aside. Next up was a gentle pour as I did not want to rouse any lees that may have flocculated out while the bottle awaited its turn. A vigorous in-glass swirl raised two fingers of dense, foamy, tawny head with excellent retention. Color was Deep Amber/Light Copper to Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17) with deep amber highlights and NE-quality clarity. Nose had an earthy, biscuity quality, just what I would expect in the style. Mouthfeel was medium to full, big for the style. The taste was more earthy than toasty/biscuity, but not so far from the mark that I would dun them for false advertising. It was definitely malt-driven as I could not discern any hops. Finish was dry, pleasant, easy-drinking. I get why some reviewers were getting down on this - it is a tad on the non-descript side if you are looking for something with Ooomph!, say an American-style beer, but this was nothing more & nothing less than it was supposed to be.
Rated by kcjones from New York
4.73/5 rDev +31%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.73/5 rDev +31%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
This is by far my favorite from Brooklyn to this point. Like drinking a biscuit. Malted marvelously.
Jan 15, 2016Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.02/5 rDev -16.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.02/5 rDev -16.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Bronze copper brass appearance, mildly pale malt aroma.
This just showcases some pale malts, perfect bland beer for crossover status. Smooth, wishes it was cask ale. Give this to the old guy who talks about how it used to be.
Dec 20, 2015This just showcases some pale malts, perfect bland beer for crossover status. Smooth, wishes it was cask ale. Give this to the old guy who talks about how it used to be.
Pennant Ale '55 from Brooklyn Brewery
Beer rating:
82 out of
100 with
1512 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!